Locked In
by Sanguied
Summary: Sometimes love isnt enough, the Malfoys love their son, others dont agree. The ministries way of asking forgiveness makes Draco feel like its the end. But maybe Draco Black, son of Andromeda, can get it right this time. KidFic H/D


Locked In

Summary: The ministry has an odd ways of making amends and Draco wants no part of it, through like most things in his life he has no choice, but maybe this time Draco will get it right. Kidfic, H/D

Note: The Harry and Draco and other characters, are described to what I see in my head and really do not look very much like the actors portraying them on screen. I see Harry with the same unruly black hair, thin, rather short, with large emerald eyes. Draco with longer silvery blonde, also thin, and rather short, with large silver eyes, I'm a rather big fan of anime and it shows in my descriptions of character at times. I do **not** write MPREG, none will be found here. This is SLASH, I only write Het as background. Very far away in the background and usually a little to the left, if you squint.

Part 1

Harry stood from the bench and stretched, popping his back and rotating his neck.

"Who knew watching death eater's get theirs would be so bloody boring?" Ron stretched as well, one of his arms nearly hitting the witch leaving the bench behind them. He apologized with a blush and pulled his arms in, watchful of the other benches clearing out around them.

Hermione was much more circumvent about her body's complaints, but she too was glad they were taking a break.

Harry couldn't help but agree. They'd been here since this morning and he was pretty sure the next couple of hours after the lunch break would be more of the same. So far the Wizengamot hadn't cast judgment on too many people he really knew. People he knew of yes, such as Goyle Sr., who had been re-sentenced to Azkaban for life. Most of the people he knew were either dead like Bellatrix or students like Pansy Parkinson and Goyle Jr, who had already been sentenced to very strict probations, community service, and fines by the lower courts. There were only a few students and young adults being charged and sentenced with their parents. Millicent Bulstrode and her parents had gone yesterday. She'd gotten two years of house arrest, so Harry was pretty sure she wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts.

"Any preferences for lunch? Somewhere close so we're sure to make it back in time." Hermione asked as they started towards the door.

Harry gave her a tight smile for her support. Technically they didn't even have to be here. Only Harry was routinely called by the Wizengamot and they could always floo him in when they needed, but Harry didn't feel right about not being here.

"How you holding up boy?" An overfriendly smack to the back had Harry stumbling, before he could turn and give Minister Shacklebolt a negligible smile.

"Well enough sir," Harry put more sincerity into his smile towards the man. He never realized how good it would feel to have the Ministry on his side until Shacklebolt became minister, he found he like it.

"Good," thankfully the pat was lighter this time around and Harry was able to keep his feet. The minister leaned towards them with a twinkle in his eye and sensing something was being divulged they moved in. "Make sure to be back early from lunch. You'll want to be here before the place fills up and they start turning people away."

Hermione's eyebrow crinkled in confusion, "Sir?"

Shacklebolt tilted his head with a curl of lip that was neither a smile nor a grimace. "The Malfoy's have been brought in from their mansion and are next up on the block after lunch."

Harry nodded and said with quiet conviction, "We'll be here, sir."

The minister nodded, "I imagine you'll have a lot to say, seems everyone has something to say about the Malfoys. Heck, I've heard from everyone including the muggle MP and the French ministry about the _Malfoy_ situation. They're infamous," The man shook his head as he looked towards the door, "looks like the press has found out."

They all turned to see more reporters trying to mash in with the ones who'd been there since the beginning. The reporters ate their lunch where they worked, unwilling to leave and they were making it hard for the new comers to find places. Some of them even sounded foreign, French and American accents fighting with a London paper for a 'prime' place.

Harry shook his head with disgust, "let's eat."

They ended up at a wizard fish and chip, a short walk from the ministry, though it seemed everyone else had the same idea and the place was filled to the rafters. Ron looked the crowd over with despair and whaled, "we're never going to eat and get back in time."

Ron's bellow seemed to carry and Hermione elbowed him before Harry had the chance but the whole place was already looking their way. Ron gulped and Hermione sighed, but the elderly man at the front of the line paused in his order and looked back with squinting eyes. "Mr. Potter? Is that you lad?"

The whole place seemed to wait for Harry's reply, the dull roar of a moment ago now a murmur. Harry felt his face redden, but the elderly man gripped his cane and Harry did not want to be blamed if the ol'man took a header, so he stepped up, "Yes, sir."

The ol'man grinned, "well I'll be, get up here sonny and bring your friends. I want to pay for the lunch of the young man who saved my great-granddaughter's life."

A younger woman behind the man said, "You might want to tell him whose great-grandfather you are Judge Bones."

Harry felt the heartfelt smile bloom over his face, "You're Susan's great-grandfather," he moved swiftly to shake the man's hand even as he was saying; "Susan is a brave woman, your honor."

Hermione looked the crowd over as Harry rushed forward. She thought to apologize for jumping ahead but as she looked around, she realized every person in the place was smiling and no one seemed upset at all. In fact people patted Harry's back and shoulders with wide grins as he passed and everyone stepped back so he had a clear path to the front counter.

Hermione shared a glance with Ron, who looked pleased as punch as he smiled at her. She knew he was thrilled to just get to eat. They wait patiently while Harry had a few words with the elder Bones and by the end of it all three of them had not only gotten a free lunch but a table in the corner as well. Harry opened his sandwich with a grin, "that was nice of him. I'm glad Susan is doing so well."

"Me too," Hermione answered, Ron's mouth was too full for his reply to be really made out, but the other two gathered it was an agreement of the same.

Half way through his sandwich, Ron broke up their conversation about Hogwarts' reconstruction to say, "Do you think Malfoy's memories will get him time in Azkaban?"

While they were not seen open court, the memories forcibly copied and preserved from the accused were used against them as charges and in reference.

"Which Malfoy?" Hermione picked the pickle off her place and put it onto Ron's as she spoke.

Ron took a bite with a gleeful relish, "either, both? Hell all 3?"

Harry put his sandwich down with a frown, for some reason the thought of Draco Malfoy's memories being forcible searched bothered him. He glowered at his chips and picked at one or two before he said, "I don't know. They were just so two-sided, one minute helping us, the next Voldemort, who knows." Harry kind-a wished it was all over with, though thinking of the younger Malfoy in Azkaban didn't seem right.

Hermione and Ron shared a look of 'here we go again'. Ron scowled and decided to stop the whole thing before it got started. Depending on Harry's mood, he could start defending or cursing Draco Malfoy but either way it took forever to calm him down. Harry didn't even carry on about the Dark Lord as much, which they very carefully didn't mention. Hermione thought there was something to that. Ron didn't want to know. "Listen mate, they're going to get what they deserve. I know you said you were going to speak up for Mrs. Malfoy but the other two didn't do squat for us, so let them rot."

Harry thoughtfully ate some chips before he softly said, "I own Severus Snape more than I will _ever _be able to repay him and he _died _to protect Draco. The only reason Mrs. Malfoy lied about my death was in order to find him. Draco pretended not to know who we were, knowing it could cost him his life. He let me get his wand, as he hardly put up a fight and I've fought him enough times to know." He looked between Ron and Hermione, "Dumbledore wanted to give Draco another chance with his last breath. He tried to stop Crabbe and Goyle. He's had some pretty impossible choices." He dropped the chips back onto his plate, "I just don't know."

Hermione put her hand over his, "Harry, it's not your choice what happens to him."

Ron nudged his other shoulder, "It's his own memories which are going accuse him mate. You say whatever you have to say to make it alright with yourself. Just remember, in the end it's the court's choice."

Harry nodded and pushed the rest of his sandwich towards Ron, who joyfully dived in.

They arrived 15 minutes early and already the place was quickly filling with people talking, some with joyful excitement, and the reporters buzzed in the background. Harry kept his head down as they quickly adjusted to the crowd and found the best seats they could. After they'd been seated a few minutes Hermione gasped and nudged him. Harry looked to her but she nodded up and towards the walls.

Since the beginning of the trials Harry had often wondered whose portraits lined the walls of the great room, but since they'd always been empty Harry figured he was destined never to know. He had figured wrong, every portrait was now occupied. There was a couple he recognized, such as Phineas Black and Dumbledore, who winked at him.

The room's atmosphere changed as the sound of hundreds of people taking their seats replaced the sounds of talking and Harry looked to the front as the judges of the grand Wizengamot entered the room. He noticed Ron's parents closer to the front and pointed them out to Ron with a nudge and a discrete point.

Normally the Grand Wizengamot would have been led by the Minister of magic. However, since he was so new to the position and had been in the field during the action, it had been decided the highest court would be led by the senior judge. This allowed Shacklebolt to speak for the prosecution when he was needed. No one thought of asking Fudge to lead, though he was there and trying to look important.

The senior judge was a rather young looking 100 years old. Harry thought him to be pretty fair so far. He didn't seem to like the reporters, which Harry could totally agree with. Senior Judge Fumeurs picked up his wand to begin court proceedings. He was suspended in his action by the courtroom's double doors flying open and as one the room turned to look back at the entrance.

Several men in solicitor's robes made a fast pace into the room.

The one in the lead waved a parchment, as he stormed forth. "Senior Judge Fumeurs, we have an injunction."

The judge scowled, "what is the meaning of this?"

The solicitors, four in total, stopped a few feet from the bench.

Judge Fumeurs glared with obvious annoyance, "one of you approach the bench and this had better be good."

The one in front rushed forward, thrusting the parchment self importantly to the judge, who took it with a snap of his fingers. He opened the parchment and quickly read the page, before his eyebrows wrinkled and he went back over it. Finally he huffed and passed it to the judge on his right, before looking down to the awaiting solicitors, "we will hear her and allow her to proceed before the Malfoy case."

The solicitor nodded with immediate look of relief and turned back to his cohorts, waving for one to go, the last turned and quickly went out of the room again.

An undertone of sound spread through the area, which quickly fell off again when the solicitor returned, holding the door open behind himself as Andromeda Black-Tonks entered the room.

The judge announced, "The court recognizes Madam Andromeda Black-Tonks."

Mrs. Tonks looked as regal as Harry had ever seen her and still so much like Bellatrix it gave him the shivers. Still, he now had enough practice to see the differences as well. She nodded to him as she past and he returned the gesture though he was as confused as the rest of the room.

It looked like the reporters were eating up her grand entrance. Harry could see several of the _live_ reporters whispering to their viewers about who exactly Madam Andromeda Black-Tonks was.

"To what do we owe the pleasure madam," Senior Judge Fumeurs treated her with all the respect a woman of her station and sacrifices deserved.

"I'd like to thank the court for seeing me and for considering my plea. Rather than hocus pocus around the topic allow me to come to the point. In the last 10 years I have petitioned the ministry's division of childcare 12 times to remove my nephew, Draco Malfoy, from his home and to place him into my care. Each time I was refused, without investigation, because some wizards care more for gallons than they do for children's welfare."

Fudge sank into his seat.

She didn't even glance his way though plenty of others did.

Shacklebolt stood, "With permission your honor," and given a judicial nod, he turned to Andromeda, "are you saying the ministry knowingly left a child in an abusive environment?"

She straightened even further, "I am."

Shacklebolt's face turned thunderous, his veins throbbing, tightly he bit off, "may I use the court's floo your honor."

"You may Minister." The judge looked more interested than he had all day, so did everyone else.

Shacklebolt leaned to an auror, whispered a few words and the man took off for the court's floo. Not even 5 minutes later, the man was back with a small older man, who Shacklebolt introduced with a wave of his hand. "Director Tips, head of the childcare department." He turned to the man, who was running nervous fingers at the edge of his robes. "We would like to discuss the Malfoy boy, Director Tips."

"Ah," the man danced on his feet, "I don't have his file with me sir."

"It's _Malfoy, _there's only the one," Shacklebolt grossed, "how could you not remember? Fine, fetch his file then."

"Ah," he looked at Shacklebolt then Andromeda, "there isn't one sir."

"You'd best spit it out man as I've got the judge and jury roaring to go."

The man sighed, huffed a little and then relaxed with slumped shoulders. "In the past my superiors," he now spoke clearly and with strength, "ordered me not to make a file and to ignore Madam Black-Tonk's requests."

Gasps and whispers ran the room until the senior judge threatened a silencing charm.

Shacklebolt looked beside himself, the veins in his head pounding as one. "Tell me you at least sent someone around to see if there was any truth to the allegations?

The man dropped his head, "No sir, I allowed myself to believe that there could be nothing wrong. I allow my judgment to be swayed by my superiors and _I_ allowed a child to be put at risk."

"There will be repercussions," Shacklebolt said, sounding angry and disgusted.

"I expect so," Director Tips replied, he looked nearly relieved along with his guilt.

"We will discuss this issue at a later date," Judge Fumeurs replied, while gesturing towards Andromeda and the circus of people and media, "let us first finish the matter at hand." He looked to Andromeda, "Madam, the concern you've gratefully brought to the court's attention will be swiftly dealt with we assure you." He glanced to the papers in front of him, "but the boy in question is now legally an adult."

Andromeda concurred and nodded to her head solicitor, who stepped up, "we contend that any wrong doing on young Malfoy's part is a direct result of the ministry's negligence."

The judge to the left of Fumeurs scowled and bellowed out "that boy is facing some serious charges and the fact that his parents didn't tuck in him at night is not going to exonerate him. People died."

Harry, who was enthralled by the whole thing, heard Ron mumble, "damn straight".

Andromeda went ridge in pure fury and her eyes snapped to the Judge. "If this was a matter of '_not tucking him in at night'_ I would not be before this court. Also, may I remind you sir; I have lost two cousins, my sister, my husband, my son-in-law and my _only_ child to this intrepid war. My family has been fighting and dying in this war before _you_ would even acknowledge that there _was_ a war."

The judge withdrew into himself and withered under the dark and angry glares directed at him from multiple sources including Judge Fumeurs, who spoke lowly, "and that's why we don't let you talk Markus." He turned compassionate and revered eyes back to Andromeda, "You have the apologies of the court Madam, _we_ have nothing but great respect for your many sacrifices."

Andromeda nodded her acceptance as she smoothly answered, "Which is why I am asking you not to force me into another. Draco should have been under my care years ago and by fulfilling my injunction you are righting a great miscarriage of justice." Andromeda looked around the Wizengamot, who by now had all had a chance to read her parchment. It seemed she was not talking to an unreceptive audience. There were many who seemed very amenable to her words, nodding along as she spoke.

Judge Fumeurs rubbed his chin, "But Madam, childhood aside, ultimately he did make those decisions."

She shook her head sorrowfully, "And that is what you don't understand your Honor. Draco hasn't been allowed to make a single decision since he was a very small child." Her eyes hardened, "Tell me how a child, who has not a dark bone in his body, was supposed to remain alive in that environment without surrendering every part of himself?"

Judge Fumeurs glanced towards the reporters, who were rabid for every word and then to the generally uneasy and confused masses of the courtroom. "His crimes were extracted from his memories," he could tell by the look on Andromeda's face what she thought of that and went on before she could rake him over the coals. He felt bad enough already that it had been done. "They could not falsify his involvement."

"I agree," Andromeda gave the court a tight smile, "but let's look at the whole picture and not the little glimpses they would have you see. Let us see how guilty that child truly is."

Judge Fumeurs glanced down at the injunction and then to the woman before him and decided to see this though. "Alright Madam," he looked up and to the room at large, "Minister and members of the court will remain, everyone else out. This court will be close for," he paused, while the judge to the right leaned in and whispered to him, Fumeurs nodded, "3 hours."

People moaned and groaned (the reporters loudly). Judge Fumeurs scowled and raised his wand and silence reined, "the spell remains in effect until you leave my courtroom and for those of you not in the know, there are serious protections against any type of spying. Now I'll thank you all to _get_ out."

Harry didn't wait for further invitation and headed towards the door. He could feel the spell release as he went over the threshold. He could also see the tell-tale signs of bored reporters turning his way.

"Harry Potter," one of many called out.

Hermione and Ron had a routine by now. They flagged Harry and quickly directed him to an apparition point. Harry didn't even know where they were going until Ron whispered, "the Burrow."

Harry wasn't sure that's where he wanted to go but by the time he'd finished the thought he was already there. He sighed and followed Ron into the house. Hermione leaned in, "Ginny's not here."

Well that was something. It wasn't that they hadn't had a good breakup per se. It was just going to take time before they were really friends again. Harry just wasn't able to really be comfortable around her yet. Though he would have preferred that in comparison to what they did walk into, Molly hunched over her kitchen table with her hands over her face, speaking to Arthur with watery broken words. "What if it's true? And we did nothing. He was the only child in the inner circle."

"Mum?" Ron had seen his mum cry entirely too much recently and if she was crying over what Ron suspected, he was going to break Malfoy's nose. He rubbed her shoulder, "its not true mum. Malfoy's parents gave him everything."

She lifted her head and sniffled while she patted his hand.

Harry bit his lip, "I think Voldemort was just using him to hurt his parents. So they must have cared, right?"

Arthur rubbed his wife's shoulder and sadly shook his head, "there is a difference between caring for your child because he is your child and caring for him because he carries your line."

TBC: This story is in competition with my other stories, **absolutely all my stories will be finished**, but they get updates according to the interest in them. Hence the one with the most reviews gets its next part first. Thank you.


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